Steam-engine.



Patented Aug. I3, |90l.

A. P. CHARLES. STEAM ENGINE.

(Application led Feb. 16, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Smet l.

(No Model.)

wgzsses l Y @www Tn: nous No. 680,406. Patented Aug. I3, |901. A. P.CHARLES. STEAM ENGINE. (Application med Feb. ie, 1901.)

2 Sheetss--ShaetA 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBION I. CHARLES, OF IOLA, KANSAS.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart 0f Letters Patent No. 680,406, dated August13, 1901. Application flied February 16, 1901. Serial No. 47,612. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBION P. CHARLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Iola, in the county of Allen and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Steam-Engine, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to engines in general,and more particularly tothat type known as rotary engines; and it has for its object to providea simple and efficient construction wherein the direction of rotation ofthe piston may be readily reversed and wherein accidental reverserotation of the piston will be prevented.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the complete engine. Fig. 2 is asection on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the rocker and shaft,'as well as otherparts, being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 isa side view ofthe engine withone of the cylinder-heads removed, partsV being shown in section. Fig. 4is an elevation of lthe removable cylinder-head and showing the groovefor the packing-ring.

Referring now to the drawings, the present engine consists of a cylinder5, mounted upon a based, and within which cylinder is disposed a piston7,'tixed upon a shaft S androtatable between the cylinder-heads 9 and10, which latter are held in place in the usual manner. In the upperportion of the cylinder and leading to the piston-chamber 11 aresteam-passages 12 and 13, which communicate with a steam-chest 14 uponthe upper side of the cylinder. These steam-passages 12 and 13 divergedownwardly and are arranged tangent to the periphery of the piston 7.

Secured to the piston 7 and extending radially thereof is a series ofpiston-heads 15, which in the present instance are twelve in number, andthese piston-heads are provided with packing-strips 16, which engage theinner Walls of the cylinder and the cylinderheads to prevent escape ofsteam past the piston-heads. heads are provided with circular grooves17, concentric with. the shaft-bearing 1S, and in these grooves aredisposed packing-rings 19, as shown. I

- Between the passages 12 and 13 is a truncated triangular partition 20,the inner face The inner faces of the cylinderof which coincides withthe curvature of the bore of the cylinder, and in this inner face is arecess 21, across the mouth of which is a bridge 22, resulting in theformation of an arcuate passage. In this recess or passage 21 isdisposed an arcuate rocker 25 upon a spindle 26, which is passedoutwardly through the end of the upper portion of the cylinder andthrough the medium of which vthe rocker is operated to project its endsalternately into the path of rotation of the piston-heads, said shaftbeing oscillated by means of a crank 29, attached to the outer endthereof, which is in turn operated in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed.

In the steam-chest 14E is disposed a slidevalve 31, having a centralvertical passage 35, which is adapted to communicate with the passages12 and 13 under different conditions, which will be presently explained.In the under face of the slide-valve 31 are formed recesses 30 and 43,of which the recess 30 cooperates with the passage 13, while the recess43 cooperates with the passage 12, said recesses being adapted also tocoperate with exhaust-ports 32 and 33, opening through the bottom of thesteam-chest and adjacent to the passages 12 and 13. These passages orports are so disposed that the slide-valve may be moved to partiallycover and to'uncover the passage 12 without communicating said passagewith the outlet-port 33, and at the same time the valve will be moved topartially cover and uncover the passage 13 while maintainingcommunication between it and the port 32. If the slide-valve be movedinwardly, it may be reciprocated to maintain communication between thepassage 12 and the port 33 and to partly cover and uncover the passage12 and at the same time to destroy communication between the passage 13and port 32 and also partly cover and uncover the passage 13, whilepermitting constant communication of the passage 13 with the passage 35and therethrough with the steamchest.

In order to reciprocate the slide-valve 31, avalve-rod 36 is passedinwardlyof the steamchest through a stuffing-box 37 and is connected atits inner end with the valve. Vith the outer end of the rod 36 isconnected a rod 37, the opposite end of which is pivoted to a lever 38,pivotally mounted upon a bracket next to the cylinder-head 10, and theoppo- IOO site end of which lever 38 is provided with a roller 39, whichlies within a cam-groove of a cam-wheel 41, whereby as the shaft 8, uponwhich the cam-Wheel is mounted, rotates the lever 3S will be rocked andwillcorrespondingly move the slidevalve 31 to out oit the steam-supplyin whichever of its extreme positions the Valve may be in. y

When the piston is to be rotated in one direction, the valve-rod 36 isdrawn outwardly,

and when it is to be reversed the valve-rod is pushed in, but the rod 37must also be moved, else the adjustment of the mechanism would bedestroyed, and, furthermore, the engagement of the'roller 39 in thecam-groove 40 would not permit of such movement. The rod 37 must,therefore, be adj ustably connected with the rod 36, and for thispurpose the rod 3o is provided with notches 50 and 51, while the rod 37is connected directly to a tubular handle 52, which is slidably mountedon the rod 36 and which is provided with a trigger 53, adapted forengagement with the notches in rod 36 interchangably. When the rod 36 ismoved inwardly, the trigger is engaged with notch 50 and holds rod 37 inproper position to give the correct reciprocations to rod 36 and theslide-valve connected therewith. When the rod 36 is drawn outwardly, thetrigger is engaged with the notch 51 and holds rod 37 in proper relationto rod 36 in this position of the latter.

When the piston is rotating to the right, the rocker 25 is adapted toproject its righthand end into the cylinder to have a ratchet eect uponthe piston-heads for engagement thereby when there is a tendency toreverse movement of the piston, while when the piston rotatesin theopposite direction thisl rocker is adapted to project its opposite endin to the cylinder for a like purpose. To move the rocker to itsdifferent operative positions to correspond to the direction of rotationof the piston, a rod 55 is attached thereto at one end and has itsopposite end connected to the rod 36, the length of the rocker beingsuch that when the rod 36 is operated to shift the cut-oit' valveinwardly or outwardly the rocker will be adjusted to the proper degree.As above stated, when the piston rotates to the right the right-hand endof the rocker is in the path of movement of the heads of the piston,which latter successively strike it and Vsnap under it, and when thepiston is rotated to the left the opposite end of the rocker projectsand the piston-heads again snap under it. In this operation thepiston-heads engage and press the rocker upwardly and permit it to dropbehind them, and to insure this latter movement the rod 55 is formedtelescopic and the sections are connected by a helical spring 56, thatencircles them and is connected thereto, so that they may havetelescopic movement and the rocker may yet be shifted when the rod 36 isshifted.

It will be noted that in connection withthe packing-strip of cachpiston-head there is 4nected with the valve for movement therewith toproject either end into the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder havingheads for engagement with the inwardly-projecting end of the rocker, alever having cam connection with the' piston for oscillation thereby,and a locking device connected with the lever and adjustably connectedwith the valve for operating the latter.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having a chestand inlet-ports connecting the cylinder and chest, said chest havingalso an outlet-port, a rotatable piston in the cylinder having heads, aslidevalve in the chest for communicating the inlet-ports with the chestand adapted for adjustment into operative relation with the inlet-portsalternately, a valve-rod connected with the valve and having recessestherein, a cam connected With the piston, a lever having a rollerengaged. with the cam, a connecting-rod attached to the lever, and alocking device attached to the connecting-rod and slidably mounted uponthe valve-rod, said locking device including a trigger for engagementwith the recesses of the valve-rod interchangeably when the rod isshifted, to operatively connect the rod with the eccentric in thedifferent adjustments of the valve-rod.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a rotatablepiston mounted therein and having heads, a-steam-chest having portscommunicating with the cylinder to supply steam thereto, a slide-valvein the chest adapted for adjustment into operative relation to the portsalternately, a rocker disposed to project'its ends into the path of theheads of the piston alternately, a telescopic and yieldable connectionbetween the rocker and valve for shifting the rocker to correspond tothe position of the valve and permit movement of the rocker by theengaging heads to pass therebeyond, a cam carried by the piston, a rodfor the valve, and connections between the cam and rod and including anadjustable locking device for locking the rod in operative relation tothe cam in the different adjusted positions of the rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBION P. CHARLES.

Witnesses:

M. MILLER, B. F; CLARK.

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